Joe Lennon felt this was the perfect time to retire as DePaul’s baseball coach.

Lennon has won back-to-back Passaic County championships with the Spartans and his fourth grandchild is due in two weeks. Leaving the diamond should afford the affable, respected Lennon plenty more time to spend his grandchildren, but he’ll remain DePaul’s athletic director.

“I just knew it was time,” Lennon, 65, said today. “I knew it was time with football [7½ years ago] and now I know it’s time in baseball. I feel very privileged to have coached for 43 years in two sports, to have been relatively successful at it and to have had some great, great players who were dedicated beyond belief. They made every day enjoyable at practices and games.”

Lennon enjoyed himself plenty when DePaul became the first No. 11 seed in 33 years to win the Passaic County Tournament in May 2011. The Spartans were seeded just sixth this year, but won their second straight title thanks to a talented, senior-laden team that featured designated hitter/outfielder Sean Jones, second baseman Mike Lembo, shortstop Nick Fondacaro, as well as junior catcher John Scarr.

‘We had guys who never gave up on the season, stayed with it, practiced hard every day,” Lennon said. “It was a very, very special group of guys.”

Jones, Lembo and Fondacaro were named first team All-Passaic County after last season. The Passaic County Coaches Association also selected Lennon as its “Coach of the Year” for 2011 and 2012.

Lennon won 433 high school baseball games in 30 seasons, 23 at DePaul (1983-87; 1995-2012). He also won 167 games as a high school football coach, mostly at DePaul.

Lennon left his duties as DePaul’s head football coach after the 2004 season. John McKenna, Lennon’s replacement, will begin his eighth season tonight, when DePaul, ranked No. 6 in The Record preseason Top 25, plays at No. 20 Paramus.

John Zisa, DePaul’s freshmen coach, is expected to take over for Lennon.

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